San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds hits a single off San Diego Padres' starting pitcher Brian Lawrence during the fifth inning of their game in San Francisco, Tuesday Sept. 13, 2005.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

The Giants are 2-0 with Barry Bonds, 64-78 without him. Cause and effect? Maybe, but give props to the rest of the team. Peel back the hype surrounding Bonds' return, and you will see a portrait of solid team baseball.

The Giants have taken the first two games of their must-sweep series against the Padres, winning 5-4 Tuesday night, because Mike Matheny is getting big hit after big hit, Ray Durham is producing like a fifth-place batter who deserves to wear that .300 badge, the defense continues to make plays, routine and otherwise, and the bullpen refuses to give much quarter.

Bonds again played into the seventh inning on a night so cold he furiously rubbed the sides of his right knee for warmth between pitches as he stood in left field. He singled, contributing to a scoring rally, struck out and drew his first two walks.

Bonds' hit was one of 14 for the Giants, who moved five games behind the Padres in the NL West and go for the sweep behind Matt Cain this afternoon (with Bonds likely to be on the bench). Suddenly, things are looking up again, and a team left for dead time and again still must be considered a contender. Not that this is big news in the clubhouse.

"Personally, I don't think I've talked to anyone in here who thought we were out of it," said reliever Scott Eyre, who cited Bonds' potential return as one reason the Giants never could be considered out of it.

There are a variety of reasons the Giants have taken two in a row from the Padres. It is tempting to credit Bonds' presence in a lineup that has struggled to score, a factor for which Bonds is not sure he deserves credit.

"I don't know," he said. "That's a great compliment, if that's the case. These guys, everyone is playing well right now, but you just can't take two games right now and ride that white pony. You've got to continue winning."

Matheny, who doubled home a pair of runs with first base open, two outs and pitcher Noah Lowry on deck, also cautioned against making too much out of two victories against the division leaders.

"It's boring for you to write and for people to hear," Matheny said, "but I just don't let myself go there, and I hope the other guys don't, either. We're responsible for playing every day. To put more emphasis on this game or series, or any other, doesn't do anyone any good."

Lowry struggled through six innings but held the Padres to three runs to earn his team-best 13th win. The bullpen, which contributed 82/3 shutout innings Monday (from Matt Kinney, Jack Taschner, LaTroy Hawkins and Armando Benitez) got two more Tuesday from Eyre and Hawkins, before Robert Fick homered off Benitez in the ninth.

After overcoming a 3-0 deficit Monday night, the Giants fell behind 3-1 Tuesday and rebounded again, tying the game on the two Matheny doubles. They then took a 4-3 lead in the fifth when Pedro Feliz and Bonds singled, and Feliz scored on a Durham sacrifice fly made possible because center fielder Ben Johnson bobbled Bonds' single, allowing Feliz to take third base.

Like so many of Bonds' walks last season, his free pass in the seventh meant pay dirt for the Giants. Jason Ellison ran for Bonds and scored on Lance Niekro's pinch single.

Bonds said his knee stiffened toward the end of the game, which he said was more difficult than Monday's because he had fewer chances in left and more standing-around time. He did race to the wall in left-center to steal a double from Mark Loretta in the first. Asked if he knew he had it, Bonds said, "I just prayed, brother. That's it. I thought, 'Why me?' "

Bonds gave himself a positive review for his first two games, saying, "I feel pretty good, to not swing a baseball bat for almost a year, no spring training, go to a college and hit in a cage for a week and then face major-league pitching. It's like I told the guys, 'If I give you a little, it's a lot at this stage.' "

Bonds is not the only Giant who has given a little in two games against the Padres. The team has risen to its challenge, and the reward is remaining in contention.